A Very Curious Pair
by NymphaBella
Summary: AUTHOR FORMERLY CATWARRIOR94 50 prompts, 50 oneshots for the pairing of the Disney Mad Hatter and Alice. A big thank you to Bri-chan for introducing me to this marvelous couple.
1. Mistakes

Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland and all its characters belong to Lewis Carroll and Disney. I am making no profit for these stories. They are purely for entertainment purposes.

Shattered glass and broken heart. The crash, though soft, echoed through the room. In it she heard voices screeching at her, scolding her. Foolish child, you've broken him. She shielded her ears with her hands but the voices crept through her fingers. She had done the worst thing, betrayed him, couldn't take it back. His footsteps came closer to her bedroom, determined and accusing. She had to hide them! The evidence of her treachery. She froze, eyes wide, as she heard the door open and tried to hide them under her skirt. "Alice! What did you do to my new tea set!?" Alice looked down sadly at the many pieces of broken glass, blue and fragile. Forbidden to touch, but she did. _That_ was a mistake.


	2. Heartfelt

Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland and all its characters belong to Lewis Carroll and Disney. I am making no profit for these stories. They are purely for entertainment purposes.

The Mad Hatter was by no means a romantic man. He had no knowledge of women, had no idea how to go about wooing one. He had brainstormed for days, trying to come up with something. Something to make her love him. So many ideas had popped up in his eccentric mind, only to be waved away by a gloved hand, complaining about not being picked. Some of them would hide out in his large hat, clinging to his white hair, not wanting to leave. He had shaken the first group out with some difficulty, nearly breaking his arm with the shakes. They screamed and cried and tugged at his hair. All wanted attention. All wanted to be chosen. So much screeching he thought he might go deaf.

Then amidst the noise a soft whispering idea sang into his ear. The best idea yet. Tugging off his hat, he gently picked up the soft spoken idea, then shook the screeching ones out. He came to her, gingerly holding the it in a closed fist. She gazed at it curiously, not knowing what it was. It was creature and cloud. Solid and transparent. "I had so many ideas that I threw away. This one was sweet and gentle and I brought it to you. Is it a good idea?"

She smiled up at him with shining blue eyes. "It's the most heartfelt gift I've ever received."

Because it is true. It's the thoughts that make the best presents.


	3. Fading Away

Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland and all its characters belong to Lewis Carroll and Disney. I am making no profit for these stories. They are purely for entertainment purposes.

Lately, Alice had started having odd moments where everything in her line of vision would go fuzzy. She herself felt she also went fuzzy along with everything but how was one to know if they were going fuzzy? These moments were happening more and more and Alice had begun to worry. She would be walking around Wonderland, her new home, and it seemed that everything around would… flicker, as in a room lit by a dying lightbulb. At first, behind the flickers, was blackness, nothing. Then between the flickers came splashes of another place. The cheerful, colorful atmospshere of Wonderland would give away to flashes of a gray, rainy place.

Alice would close and open her eyes quickly, repeatedly, trying to make it all go away. It was just in her head, she would tell herself. She was simply tired and her mind was playing tricks on her eyes. It wasn't real. 'Ah,' said a voice in the back of her head. 'But that's what you said about Wonderland. And it's very real as you can see around you.'

Alice ran. She ran fast, breathing sharp, tears forming in her eyes. She ran towards the familiar sound of tooting teapots. She burst through the gate, the steam spurts jumping up into her vision from the long table. Strangely, there was only one occupant at this tea party. Not an unheard of happening but it was very rare for two members to be missing.

Alice made her way down the table, sniffing and gasping. The lone occupant looked up from his tea cup, his signature large green hat moving to indicate his movement. He stood up in surprise at the young woman in front of him, her face shining with tears. "Alice? What's wrong?" he asked in a worried tone he had never used before. "Mr. Hatter! It's fading!" she cried.

As if going on a cue, everything around her began to lightly flicker. The man in front of her was gone and back like a slide going through a projector twice. "No!" she yelled at the air, this force, whatever it was. The gray world was flashing in and out. She could smell it now. The rain, the smoke. She realized what was happening. "Mr. Hatter!" She threw her pale arms around him, his own arms wrapping aroudn her waist in reflex. "Reginald…" she whimpered, using his first name for the first time.

"Alice…" A confused and shocked tone crept into his voice as he gently pushed her away, eyes wide. She didn't understand until she caught sight of her one of her arms. She was fading too…. Her arm was… transparent. You could see right through it. It was as if she was disinigrating. "Alice!" His voice was now filled with alarm. "Reginald!"

She again threw her arms around him, thanking God that she felt his warmth. Pressing her lips to his, she ran her fingers through his snow white hair, knocking his hat off in the process. Pulling away, she looked at him sadly. The flashes were becoming more pronounced. She was now able to feel the cold wind. "I love you…" she whispered, tears building in her blue eyes, giving them a brilliant shine. Her entire body was now fading. Reginald cried out and attempted to grab her, make her stay, but his arms closed around empty air.

Alice looked around in despair, the warm weather of Wonderland gone. A cold breeze chilled her, blowing her hair. The day was gray. Rain puddles littered the dreary roads, where horses pulled dark carriages. Black smoke billowed out of the factories of London, while one pretty young woman with golden hair hugged, crying, trying to make the warmth that was already gone last.


	4. Spirit

Disclaimer: Alice in Wonderland and all its characters belong to Lewis Carroll and Disney. I am making no profit for these stories. They are purely for entertainment purposes.

A/N: So.. back after an absence that lasted over a year with a new username and new drabble! Sorry for the long wait but heads up this will probably happen often but I do hope you enjoy them when they do come. ^_^

When she first asked him what they were he stayed silent, (extremely odd for him) and drank his tea with no answer for her. The second time she asked him he seemed to start to answer but stopped before he had gotten even two words out. They say the third time's the charm and that was true in this case. "Reginald… what are those things… creatures… beings in the forest?"

The hatter looked up from his tea cup at the young woman seated across from him at the ridiculously long table. March and Dory were occupied elsewhere, it was just the two of them. A perfect time for her to ask him again with no chance of him using a conversation with another as an excuse not to answer.

Alice gazed at him with wide, blue eyes, desperately hoping he would tell her this time. At eighteen years of age her curiosity was still a relentless force within her, not liking to be left unquenched.

Reginald set down his cup and stood up silently, extending a gloved hand to the blonde woman. After a slight pause she took it and got up to let him lead her to the forest. She knew that was where they were going though he never said it. Reaching the vast wood just outside the palace border they entered, walking through the trees for a few minutes before reaching their destination in a small clearing, the evening sun setting as they did. They only appeared at night time Alice had learned from her limited observations.

Reginald halted and without letting go of Alice's hand, swept his gaze around the forest, searching, a strange emotion flickering through his green eyes.

Soon enough Alice felt an odd sensation, a sign that one of those creatures was nearby. She followed the glowing orb with curious eyes as she waited for Reginald to give her an explanation. Finally he spoke.

"They're all the same thing." He spoke in a quiet voice, so uncommon for the habitually loud man. When Alice looked at him with a confused expression he continued. "You've seen beings that are different? They may look different but are actually all the same."

Alice nodded, thinking back to the orbs, streaks of light, clouds of mist and shadowy figures she had spotted in these woods.

After a lengthy pause Reginald spoke again. "Not everyone is important enough for the Queen's block."

Alice furrowed her brows before his words sank in and she turned her head to gaze wide eyed at the closest orb and spotted a few other beings father away. She had known about the Queen's temper but it had never fully occurred to her that the older woman went through with most of her threats. All of the families left mourning, all the widows and widowers, parentless children, grieving parents…

"Why don't they talk? Visit their families?"

Reginald glanced at her a moment, sadness clouding his eyes, before turning back to stare at the lights and mists. "They can't. They can't talk to us who live. They can't leave this forest, their place of death. They're trapped here… forever. For what reason I don't know. This happens to no one else but those who are executed here."

He trailed off, sweeping shining eyes around the countless trees and Alice wondered how many of these trapped Wonderlanders he had known in their old lives.

Her hand remained in his and she squeezed with what he hoped was comfort. He said nothing and simply led her out and back to the tea table where all the tea had grown cold. Blankly staring at the long table for a long moment, Alice felt quivers go through his body silently before bursting out.

She held him as he broke down in held-in tears, his hat rolling off forgotten, the two ending up on their knees on the ground paying no heed to the possibility of clothing stains. She held him and soothed him, tears forming in her own eyes as her thoughts were clouded by lost spirits who could go nowhere and do nothing.

No one interrupted them… March and Dory were occupied in the forest.


End file.
